Owaisi says For BJP Cow is Mummy In UP and Yummy In Northeast

Taking a dig at the BJP, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-UL Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad Asaduddin Owaisi accused the newly elected UP government of its double standards on beef and the ban on cow slaughter on Saturday. Owaisi highlighted the hypocrisy of Bharatiya Janata Party by saying that the party holds the highest regard for the cow in Uttar Pradesh, but they consider it a yummy delicacy in northern states. “The BJP’s hypocrisy is that in Uttar Pradesh cow is a mummy, but in the Northeast it’s yummy,” AIMIM chief said.

During this week, the Nagaland BJP chief Visasolie Lhoungu said to Hindustan Times that the ban on cow slaughter like Uttar Pradesh will not take place in their state. “Ban on cow slaughter like the one in Uttar Pradesh won’t take effect in Nagaland if our party comes to power next year. The reality here is very different and our central leaders are aware of it,” said Visasolie Lhoungu. The Bharatiya Janata Party cleared that they will not ban on cow slaughter in the northern states where polls are going to happen this year and bovine meat is a staple. The beef is extensively eaten in Christian-majority Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s drive against illegal cow slaughterhouses could impact the saffron party badly in these states. The leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party always said publicly that Cow is like a mother for Hindus. The beef is a regular part of people’s diet in these states and it will be difficult for the BJP to influence that the party is not going to take any actions on Cow’s meat, especially after the Uttar Pradesh case where Yogi Government has already banned many illegal slaughterhouses.

The AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that the nation gains Rs 26,000 crore from the buffalo meat exports and the Government of India promotes buffalo meat exports. “One should note that India gains Rs. 26,000 crore from buffalo meat exports, out of this Uttar Pradesh gains 11,000 crores. The Government of India promotes buffalo meat exports. These kinds of contradictions are there,” he added. Owaisi also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of ‘Hypocrisy’ and said the saffron party spreads Hindutva only where it suits them. “And one last thing. In Uttar Pradesh, the cow is considered mummy (mother), while in the northeast it’s yummy. If this is not the BJP’s hypocrisy then what is it? The BJP spreads Hindutva wherever it suits them. Elections are going to take place in three of the northeastern states, they are allowing beef because of this reason,” Owaisi told ANI. The Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad also attacked the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to stop drawing a similar line between the Surya Namaskar and Namaaz and start discharging his constitutional functions. “We have been hearing this for the past 55 years and we are tired of it. I urge him to leave this patronizing attitude and instead focus on the issue where because of his government’s policies 15 lakh people have lost their livelihood. I hope, being the Chief Minister, he would show some concern towards people whose family business has been running slaughterhouses.” Owaisi said.

After Yogi Adityanath’s action on closing down on illegal slaughterhouses, several states (including 5 BJP ruled states) have followed the same and started closing down the illegal abattoirs across the nation. The meat sellers and slaughter house owners in Uttar Pradesh closed their shops and called an indefinite strike call by their associations to protest against the government’s order. In last week, the government of Jharkhand also ordered the closure of all the illegal slaughterhouses in the state within 72 hours. On the other hand, the Gujarat state assembly passed a tough bill on Friday, which introduced life term for cow slaughter in the state. In the current law, the maximum jail for cow slaughter was seven years but with a life term, the assembly clears a tougher law. The Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani said that his government understands the value and importance of cows. “Protection of cows is the single-most important principle towards saving the whole world from both moral and spiritual degradation. The Gujarat Bharatiya Janata Party government understands the importance and values of the cow and that is the reason for the Bill. Congrats to all the members.” CM Vijay Rupani said on Friday.

In Bihar’s Rohtas district, seven illegal slaughterhouses were sealed after the Patna High Court directed the government to close them in six weeks. In Karnataka, the Gau Samrakshna Prakoshta and Karnataka Federation of Gaushaalas apparently demanded 1,700 unauthorized meat shows be closed down in the state. The Cow is considered as a holy animal by the Hindus and it’s also the top of the BJP’s agenda. In many of the states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party, have enforced a ban on cow slaughter and selling of cow meat. Rajasthan is the only state with a ministry of cow welfare. It is going to be very interesting to see that if the saffron party wins the upcoming assembly elections in the three northern states, then will they continue cow slaughtering or not.